As many of you know I am the speaker chair for the Inventors Association of Connecticut (IACT), an inventor’s group located here in Connecticut. The president of our group Doug Lyon has prepared a list of resources for inventors, and I have decided to share them here.
State & Economic Development Agencies
DECD (Department of Economic and Community Development) Economic development initiatives and state-level funding. http://www.ct.gov/ecd/
Connecticut Innovations (CI) State-backed VC fund supporting startups with equity, loans, and tax credits. https://ctinnovations.com/
CTNext A subsidiary of CI focused on innovation grants, including SBIR support and Innovation Places. https://ctnext.com/
AdvanceCT Promotes economic growth in CT; offers a business support catalog and site-finder. https://www.advancect.org/
CT APEX (formerly PTAC) Government contract support for small businesses in CT. https://ctptac.org/
SCORE Connecticut Free small business mentoring and workshops. https://www.score.org/
Startup Support & Accelerator Programs
ABCT (Accelerator for Biosciences in CT) Accelerator for early-stage bioscience ventures. https://abct.co/
YEI (Yale Entrepreneurial Institute) Yale’s startup accelerator and funding resource. http://yei.yale.edu/
Entrepreneurship Foundation Offers mentorship and educational programs. https://entrepreneurshipfoundation.org/
Valley Venture Mentors (VVM) Startup support and prize funding (up to $250K). https://valleyventurementors.org/
RESET Hartford Workshops, shared space, accelerator program, and funding opportunities. https://www.resetco.org/
Univ. of Hartford Entrepreneur Center Free advising and student consulting for startups. https://www.hartford.edu/barney/about/centers-and-institutes/entrepreneurial-center/
Inventor & Innovation Resources
IACT (Inventors Association of CT) Inventor community and support network. http://www.inventus.org/
UConn IP Law Clinic Free IP legal services for qualified entrepreneurs. https://law.uconn.edu/…/intellectual-property-entrepreneurship-law-clinic/
UConn Technology Commercialization Services Incubator and startup services for university-affiliated ventures. http://research.uconn.edu/…/incubator-services/
UConn Patent Clinic Assists in navigating patent law for startups and researchers. https://law.uconn.edu/…/intellectual-property-entrepreneurship-law-clinic/
Funding Programs & Financial Support
SBIR/STTR Programs Federal non-dilutive funding for innovative small businesses. https://www.sbir.gov/ | https://ctnext.com/sbir-sttr-intake-form-2024/
Angel Investor Forum Group of CT-based angel investors funding early-stage ventures. http://www.angelinvestorforum.com/
Manufacturing Innovation Fund DECD-backed grants for manufacturing startups. https://portal.ct.gov/…/Manufacturing-Innovation-Fund
CT Small Business Boost Fund Flexible working capital loans. https://ctsmallbusinessboostfund.org/
WBDC Equity Match Grant Program Funding for women-owned small businesses. https://ctwbdc.org/equity-match-grant-program/
HEDCO Loan Programs Loans, including purchase order financing. https://www.hedcoinc.com/
Angel Investor Tax Credit Programs Tax credits for individuals investing in CT startups (including cannabis). https://ctinnovations.com/…/angel-investor-tax-credit-program/
Crowdfunding via Patronicity Community-matched funding. https://www.patronicity.com/sustainablect
CleanTech Open Northeast Pitch competitions and accelerator for cleantech startups. https://www.cleantechopen.org/
Tech, Manufacturing & Climate Resources
CCAT (CT Center for Advanced Technology) Manufacturing assessments, prototyping, and innovation support. https://www.ccat.us/
CONNSTEP Lean manufacturing, quality systems, and advanced technology support. https://www.connstep.org/
FORGE Supports physical product development and scaling. https://forgemass.org/
ClimateHaven Climate tech incubator in New Haven. https://www.climatehaven.tech/
Future Climate Venture Studio Climate-related startup accelerator. https://www.futureclimateventurestudio.com/
Maker & Co-working Spaces
MakeHaven (New Haven) Maker space with tools and workshops. https://www.makehaven.org/
The District (New Haven) Innovation campus and co-working community. https://www.districtnhv.com/
B-Hive (Bridgeport) Co-working and startup space. www.bhivebridgeport.com
Bridgeport Innovation Center Affordable offices for growing businesses. www.bridgeportinnovationcenter.com
Danbury Hackerspace Collaborative makerspace and incubator. www.danburyhackerspace.com
Hamden Business Incubator Startup and small business space. http://www.hamdeneconomicdevelopment.org/…
HubCap (Wallingford) Co-working and entrepreneurial hub. http://www.hubcapwallingford.com/
Colodesk (Shared Office) Coworking and business development services. www.colodesk.com
Comradity (Stamford) Strategy studio and innovation coworking. www.comradity.net/content
MakerspaceCT (Hartford) Largest makerspace in the state. https://makerspacect.com/
CT Hackerspace (Watertown) Tech-focused makerspace and community. www.cthackerspace.com
NESIT (Meriden) Nonprofit hackerspace for technology and crafts. http://nesit.org
Makers Guild (Fairfield County) Youth and adult STEAM education & prototyping. http://makersguildfc.com
Export, Diversity & Equity Resources
Naval & Maritime Consortium Maritime sector business support. https://www.nmconsortium.com/
CT Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) Women-focused business training and funding. https://ctwbdc.org/
KNOWNPreneurs Accelerator for BIPOC founders. https://www.nhvknown.com/knownpreneurs/
Collab New Haven Mentorship and startup support for underrepresented founders. https://collabnewhaven.org/
U.S. Department of Commerce Resources for international trade and exporting. https://www.trade.gov/